Friday, December 26, 2014

TASTY THROWBACKS AT HONG KONG SHENG KEE DESSERT

Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert from Singapore is out to conquer the Klang Valley with the opening of its first concept restaurant at 1 Utama.

Opened in
September, Hong Kong
Sheng Kee Dessert woks up simple, popular HK-style

dishes and
dessert in a relaxing and
contemporary ambience that's reinterpreted from Hong Kong’s char chan teng (tea shops). The contemporary ambience
features iconic images of the Fragrant Harbour and a flag-inspired art piece in a cosy premise that's separated from
the mall’s general foot traffic by industrial-style metal gates.

Novel drinks such as
Lychee Peppermint (pix above, RM5.90), Rainbow Passion Fruit with Soursop and Osmanthus Lime with Honey Pearl are available to slake one's thirst. Light and fruity, they should go down a real treat in our tropical weather.

We can vouch for the cool concoctions of Mango Freeze with Honey Pearls (RM7.90) and Passion Fruit Freeze with Honey Pearls (RM7.90) which prove delightful after a heavy meal.

It would be a great idea to nibble on the house appetiser of Crispy Salmon Skin with Pork Floss (RM5.90) while you peruse the menu. Tufts of briny pork floss atop these deep-fried morsels make them a moreish treat.

I have always love HK-style polo buns and the Char Siu Snowy Buns (RM6.90) at Sheng Kee are similar to them but slightly better in my opinion. Never mind that they're a dead ringer for those famous ones from a certain Michelin-star HK dim sum resto. It was love at first bite when I sampled the crumbly crust of Sheng Kee's subtly sweet buns that gave way to bites of savoury, sticky char
siew filling. The buns are worth returning for in my books.

The wantan meen at Sheng Kee is another pleasant surprise as the chewy egg noodles are close to the ones we had devoured on our recent HK trip. My choice would be the SK Signature Combination
Noodle (RM16.90) that comes with honey glazed char siew, plump prawn and pork filled wontons and sui kow dumplings.

You can have the egg noodles in soup or dry. True to HK-style, a light flavourful sauce doused the chewy threads in place of local dark soya sauce. Interestingly, things are a-changing on the isle as we discovered certain noodle shops have started to drizzle their wantan meen with a little dark soya sauce (influenced by us perhaps?)...

Be careful of the molten centre of runny yolk-based custard when you bite into the scrumptiously soft Yolky Custard Buns

Although I'm not partial to Carrot Cake (RM5.90) or Zha Jiang Cheong Fun (RM6.90), both these offerings are more than up to scratch. Shredded radish (it's really radish instead of carrot) is discernible in the fried carrot cake and as an added bonus, we found the slabs generously studded with bits of lap cheong (Chinese sausage).

The Oriental Chicken Sausage Rice & Mushroom (RM13.90) can be likened to a healthier version of loh mai kai (steamed glutinous rice with the same combo of ingredients). Served with some leafy greens, it is a hearty meal that would satisfy serious carb lovers. Somehow it also reminded us of the perennial CNY fave of lap mei farn (waxed meat rice).

Those who yearn for some beefy goodness would do well to order the HK Braised Beef & Tendon Hor Fun (RM13.90) - a yummy pairing of melt-in-the-mouth braised beef and tendon with silky Ipoh hor fun. Personally, I find the overall taste of this dish too subtle for my liking as the braised brisket which I had in HK had much more pronounced accents. Anyway, give this offering a whirl and decide for yourself as there's no hard and fast rule where taste is concerned.

Dessert is very much part and parcel of the HK food scene and SK's reputation and success are built on these sweet treats. The headliners are SK Mango Pomelo Sago (RM8.90) and Yuan Yang Paste (RM6.90) - two palate-pleasing creations that promise not to leave you with a sugary overdose.

Diced Filipina mangoes, plump juicy pomelo sacs and translucent sago pearls grace the first sunny-yellow broth, making it a sumptuous option to wrap up one's meal on an ethereally sweet note.

Nutty, creamy profiles dominate in the second yin-yang broth. If you aren't a fan of almond milk or pudding, this may not float your boat but I daresay the black sesame puree helps to temper that inherent aniseed-like overtone a little.